Obituary: Ward, Yolanda C. ""Lola"

Posted
Friday, December 9, 2005 1:00 am

Yolanda C. "Lola" Ward, 88, died December 9, 2005, a Roberts Health Centre, North Kingstown. She was the wife of the late Leroy Ward Sr.Born in Providence, a daughter of the late Phillipo and Maria (Micoli) Deleone, she had lived on Cottage Grove Ave. in Warwick for many years before moving to Roberts Health Centre. Mrs. Ward had worked at Imperial Knife Co. of Providence and at Scott's Dress Shop in Providence before retiring.She leaves a daughter, Marilyn Willett of Martinsville, VA; her grandchildren, Cheryl Elovirta, Kimberly Evans, Tracy Burnette, Kristine Gadboys, Deborah L. Rasmussen, William Christian Willett; and her great-grandchildren, Michael, Chris, Zachary, Megan, Sara, Paul, Portia, Nathan and Curtis. She was the mother of the late Roy Ward.Funeral service will be Thursday, Dec. 15 at 12 noon at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Ave., West Warwick, and friends may call one hour prior from 11-12 p.m. Burial will be in North Burial Ground, Providence.Information and condolences are available at www.carpenterjenks.com.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/10/2005 Obituary Obituary: Lancellotta, Ida G. Ida G. Lancellotta, 83, of Msgr DeAngelis Manor I, died December 10, 2005, at Kent Hospital.Born in Forneli, Italy, she was a daughter of the late T. Paul and Maria (DiFiore) Lancellotta. She had lived in Maryland before returning to West Warwick in 1991.Miss Lancellotta was a seamstress in the clothing industry, including Banks Co. in Maryland, until her retirement in 1991. She was a member of the Tenant's Association of Msgr DeAngelis I.She is survived by three brothers, Pasco Lancellotta of Warwick, Michael Lancellotta of Coventry and Alfred Lancellotta of Warwick; two sisters, Roseanne Melone of Warwick and Dorothy Lancellotta of West Warwick; and several nieces and nephews. She was a sister of the late Silvio E. "Pepper" Lancellotta and Julia C. Pacheco.Her funeral will be held Dec. 14 at 9:00 a.m. from The Prata-Murphy Funeral Home, 78 Providence St., West Warwick, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, 820 Providence St. Burial will follow in Notre Dame Cemetery, West Warwick. Relatives and friends are invited and may call Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 5-8 p.m.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/10/2005 Obituary Obituary: Lincoln, Alfred J. Alfred J. Lincoln, 68, of Warwick Ave., an appliance parts sales clerk for Twin City and formerly for Appliance Parts for 40 years, died December 10, 2005, at RI Hospital.Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Charles R. and Bertha D. (Brissette) Lincoln. He lived in Johnston before moving to Warwick 15 years ago.Mr. Lincoln served in the U.S. Navy and was a member of the VFW Post 272, the Williams Shields Post 43 and the Oakland Beach Volunteer Fire Barn.He was an avid Yankees and NASCAR fan.He was the beloved father of James A., Gary J. and Keith A. Lincoln and brother of Charles, Norman, Ronald and Diana Lincoln, Doris Conti and the late Robert Choquette and Arthur Lincoln. He is also survived by five grandchildren.His funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. in Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave. Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/10/2005 Obituary Obituary: Ferris, Dr. Richard J. Dr. Richard J. Ferris, of Fort Myers, FL, who celebrated his 90th birthday on September 29 of this year, died December 10, 2005, in Ft. Myers. He was married to the late Lillian E. (Schofield) Ferris and the late Bessie (Marriott) Ferris and is survived by his wife of seven years, Thelma. (Limbach) Ferris.He was a graduate of Cranston High School and Massachusetts College of Optometry. Dr. Ferris practiced optometry with his brother, Dr. William Ferris, and with his son, Dr. David Ferris, until retiring in 1970.Dr. Ferris was an avid golfer and a boating enthusiast. He was a former member of Warwick Country Club and a member of Myerlee Country Club in Fort Myers. Dr. Ferris was active in Boy Scouts having established Troop One Spring Green in the 1950s and the Kellgrant Scout Reservation in Narragansett. He served for many years as a commissioner of the Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America, and was awarded Scouting's highest award, the Silver Beaver, in 1970.Besides his wife he leaves his three children, Suzanne Pease and her husband, Edson, of Tucson, AZ, Richard G. Ferris and his wife, Kelly, of North Kingstown and David Ferris and his wife, Charlotte, of Warwick; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was the brother of Dr. William W. Ferris of Warwick and the late Dr. John A. Ferris.A Christian celebration of Dr. Ferris' life will be held on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 11:00 a.m. at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Ave., West Warwick. Donations in his memory made to Hope Hospice and Palliative Care, 9470 Health Park Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908 would be appreciated. Information and condolences available at www.carpenterjenks.com.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/11/2005 Obituary Obituary: Costello, Nieves Connie (Burgos) Nieves "Connie" (Burgos) Costello, 92, formerly of Brendard Avenue, died December 11, 2005, at Haven Health Center, Coventry. She was the wife of the late Raymond O. Costello.Born in New York City, a daughter of the late Felix and Petra (Zambran) Burgos, she had been a resident of Connecticut and New York, moving to Warwick in 1987.Connie was employed as a dressmaker for Saks 5th Avenue for many years before retiring. She was a member of the Buttonwoods Senior Center and a communicant of St. Kevin Church.She was the beloved mother of Yolanda Fullana of Windsor, CT, Theresa Joles of Warwick, and the late Raymond Costello. She is also survived by six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.Her funeral will be held on Dec. 14 at 8:30 a.m. from Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Home, 2435 Warwick Ave., with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 in St. Kevin Church, Sandy Lane. Burial will be in RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. Visiting hours are Dec. 13 from 6-8 p.m.In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Buttonwoods Community Center, 3027 West Shore Road, Warwick, RI 02886 would be appreciated.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/11/2005 Obituary Obituary: Rounds, Troy L. Troy L. Rounds, 36, of Greenwich Ave., died December 11, 2005, in an automobile accident on Route 295.Born in Providence, a son of Anna M. (Cerrito) Rounds of Warwick, he had been a Warwick resident for most of his life.He was employed as a medical support assistant at the Providence Veterans Administration Medical Center for the past 14Â½ years. He enjoyed decorating, interior design, traveling, cooking, shopping and gardening.He was the partner of David A. Nelson; father of Allannah M. Rounds, brother of Robert J. and Vincent M. Coffey, all of Warwick, Lisa A. Greenlund of East Greenwich and Tina M. Coffey of Coventry. He was the uncle of four nephews and one niece and is also survived by his dog, Tony. He was a brother of the late Christopher H. Rounds.His funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. in Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Greenwich.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/11/2005 Obituary Obituary: Fine, Herbert Herbert Fine, 69, of Edaville Court, Warwick, a self-employed CPA, died December 11, 2005, at Kent Hospital. He was the husband of Janice (Prisco) Fine; they were married for 30 years.Born in Providence, a son of the late Simon and Nettie (Milman) Fine, he had lived in Warwick for 28 years. Mr. Fine was a graduate of Classical High School, URI and Bryant College, where he received his master's degree in taxation.He was the owner of Herbert Fine CPA in Warwick, where he worked alongside his wife for 25 years. He also taught at Bryant College, Johnson & Wales and Roger Williams University, where he was also Dean of Administration. Mr. Fine was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Army. Besides his wife he leaves a daughter, Deborah Freedman of Albany, NH, and a brother, Stanley Fine of Coconut Creek, FL.Funeral services were held Dec. 14 at Sugarman-Sinai Memorial Chapel, 458 Hope St., Providence.In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to your favorite charity.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/12/2005 Obituary Obituary: Brown, William A. William A. Brown, 46, of West Shore Rd., died December 12, 2005, at home.Born in Providence, a son of the late Lloyd E. and Beverly A. (Markey) Brown, he had been a Warwick resident since 1970. William was employed in the shipping and receiving department at Sunbeam Bread Company for 28 years. He was an avid Red Sox fan.He was the beloved brother of Colleen P. Johnston of West Warwick, Donald R. Brown of Warren, Shirley A. Brown of Warwick and the late Steven L. Brown. He was the uncle of Andrew, Nathan and Christopher Johnston.His funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. in Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave. Burial will be private. Visiting hours are Thursday 4-8 p.m.In lieu of flowers, contributions to the William A. Brown Memorial Fund, 1053 West Shore Rd., Warwick, RI 02889 would be appreciated.
Obituaries Obituaries NONE 12/12/2005 Obituary Obituary: Moore Sr., Charles W. Charles W. Moore Sr., 78, of Warwick Avenue, a salesman for many years for Lincoln Packing of Cranston and the former Wilson and Co. before retiring in 1993, died December 12, 2005, at Kent Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Jeannette M. (Salisbury) Moore, with whom he celebrated his 58h wedding anniversary in May of this year.Born in Dallas, PA, he was a son of the late Raymond C. and Olive (Searfoss) Moore. He lived in Warwick for 55 years.Mr. Moore was a World War II Navy veteran and a member of the William Shields American Legion Post 43 and a life member of the Warwick Elks.He was the father of Charles W. Moore Jr., Raymond C. Moore Sr., Sharon L. Crane and Deborah A. Shea and brother of Kenneth Moore, Edward Moore and Jean Salisbury and the late Wilfred Moore and Geraldine Buchanan. He is also survived by nine grandchildren.His funeral service will be held Thursday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. in Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave. Burial with military honors will be in RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter.In lieu of flowers, contributions to the National Kidney Foundation, 125 Carlsbad St., Cranston, RI 02910 would be appreciated.
Columns Columns HOWELL, JOHN 12/13/2005 This Side Up This Side Up: Lessons learned by winning By JOHN HOWELLSome lessons are learned in minutes; others take hours, days and even years.The lessons of youth are sometimes the most exhilarating. They can be so fresh, so new, like the surprise of finding a $20 bill.I have to believe it was like that for members of the Warwick PAL Patriots Junior Pee Wee football team. No PAL team has ever won a regional championship. They did it. They surprised themselves and earned a berth at the nationals in Tucson. The 32-member team, accompanied by their parents, made the trip and returned this past weekend with third place honors. It was a remarkable achievement and an experience the boys and their families will remember for a lifetime.The lesson is one that is part of the American dream: anything is possible with hard work and determination. The parents demonstrated the same kind of determination. Competing in a national event takes money and there wasn't much time to come up with the $1,000 it would take to send each player to Tucson. In barely a week, through a combination of efforts, the team raised more than $30,000. A lot of the money came from shoppers, who responded to the appeals of boys, clad in their football jerseys, standing outside stores with placards and cans. The boys learned first-hand how generous this community is and sensed the pride people took in their achievement.What a remarkable lesson.Two days after the boys won the regional tournament the PAL Pee Wee cheerleaders also notched a PAL first. They placed in the regional competition held at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. In so doing they won the right to travel to Tucson, too.But the girls didn't go.Was this fair?It doesn't seem so. The boys' parents weren't going to let the opportunity for a shot at a national title go unanswered. The girls weren't given that chance.But I believe the parents were right in deciding they didn't have the time to raise the necessary funds to send the 25 girls. To put the entire burden on families would have been unfair. Regardless of whether they could have afforded it, parents would have felt they would have to send their daughters. Families would have borrowed and made sacrifices to make it happen.I don't doubt that some of that took place among the football families, especially when three and more family members accompanied some players to Arizona.The boys returned knowing they had played some of the best teams in the country and that they could hold their own.I wondered if the girls felt slighted, that they had been gypped.I don't think so after watching them perform at half time during the women's URI-PC game at the Ryan Center Saturday afternoon. Thanks to the efforts of URI athletic director Tom McElroy, it was arranged to showcase the talents of this young team.Attendance at the game was sparse and I was disappointed for the girls and their families, who had come to cheer them. There was an irony that I couldn't help but notice. Only the week before I had been at the men's URI-PC game. The place was packed; fans approached those arriving at the center with offers to buy their tickets. This time the place looked empty with prime seats unoccupied. The girls just don't command the crowds. That didn't seem to make any difference to the PAL cheerleaders.As coach Tracy Paliotte observed, the girls were more worried by the presence of TV cameras than they were by the possibility that thousands could be watching the game and therefore their routine on Cox Cable. Both Tracy and Jill McLaughlin, who have been coaching the girls since May, agree that the decision not to travel to Tucson has been accepted by the girls. The two coaches feel they need to be better prepared should the chance of a national competition happen again and there's the feeling it will happen — it's called a dream."Smile," Tracy coaxed as the girls' moment came. They were light on their feet going into the routine they had rehearsed in an upper corridor only five minutes before. This time they were at center court. The music played. Their cheers were loud and clear. The URI cheerleaders watched intently, applauding and cheering them on. Tracy urged them from her seat. She had had to rearrange the routine since several of the girls had failed to appear. But it went smoothly. There were yells and applause. It was a high-energy moment. And in a few minutes it was over.There will be more recognition when PAL conducts its breakfast banquet at the Crowne Plaza on Jan. 8. City officials and businesses have applauded their achievements in congratulatory ads. There could and should be more — perhaps appearances by both groups before the City Council with the cheerleaders doing a cheer.Years from now, when those Pee Wee Cheerleaders are grown women, I wonder what they will remember. Will it be that they didn't get to go to Tucson? Will it be performing before a college crowd, albeit a small one?I doubt those will be the memories.As I suspect with the boys, I think the cheerleaders will recall the satisfaction of knowing they worked as a team and that they were good. There's no gender discrimination for being the best, just to how it is recognized.
Columns Columns NONE 12/13/2005 Did You Hear Did You Hear: Going to the dogs GOING TO THE DOGSThis morning, dog lovers throughout the city will finally have a place all their own to walk Fido. At 11 a.m., Mayor Scott Avedisian is scheduled to cut the ribbon to Warwick's new dog park.Located at City Park in Buttonwoods, the mayor will be joined by Councilwoman Donna Travis (D-Ward 6) and a bevy of pet owners, many who played a role advocating for the park's creation.The fenced-in facility, measuring 33,000 square feet, is the state's largest dog park. Though it may be hard to tell with this wintry weather, visitors should appreciate its spacious grassy area, a shady tree-filled section and, yes, several fire hydrants.The dog park also includes a small "holding area" adjacent to the main park gate, where residents can safely unleash and leash their dogs, as well as several benches and bleachers for pet owners to use while their pets play.WARWICK BUSINESS "STANDS" OUT ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONThe two winners of Rhode Island Housing's 2005 Affirmative Action Awards have one thing in common: the Warwick general contractor that built their housing projects.According to the folks at R.I. Housing, Stand Corp. deserves a lot of the credit for the awards the organization gave to SWAP and Smith Hill Community Development Corporation last month. Stand Corp. President Ron Caniglia has a long history of recruiting and retaining women and minority sub-contractors and workers. He even makes it a point to mentor formerly incarcerated persons.The Affirmative Action Awards were presented as part of the U.S. Small Business Administrations annual Minority Enterprise Development Week activities. SWAP of Providence was honored for its outstanding performance on Potters Avenue Area Revitalization.The project, which paid out 14.9 percent of the project's $3.7 million construction budget to women- and minority-run businesses, involved the substantial renovation of a cluster of historic homes and the new construction of several historically compatible buildings. The project created 38 affordable lead-safe apartments and 21 homes for sale to low-income homebuyers. Smith Hill Community Development Corporation of Providence was honored for its outstanding performance on Smith Hill Visions. Female and minority workers logged nearly 19,000 hours on the jobsite. Smith Hill Visions also involved the substantial renovation of a cluster of historic homes and the new construction of several historically compatible homes. The project created 26 lead-safe apartments targeting workers making the minimum wage.WARWICK RECEIVES AAA SAFETY AWARDAAA Southern New England recently honored Warwick as part of its annual Community Safety Awards Luncheon. The city was given a pedestrian safety citation for having no pedestrian fatalities in 2004.AAA honors cities for incorporating traffic safety education and enforcement programs in their day-to-day policing efforts.
Editorials Editorial NONE 12/13/2005 Editorial Editorial: The marketplace and electricity National Grid was back before the Public Utilities Commission yesterday with another rate increase request. This one was for a 13.3 percent increase as a result of the escalating cost of electricity.There was a time when Narragansett Electric, which is now National Grid, generated electricity. That's no longer the case. The company buys its power from multiple sources and the cost it charges customers for the standard rate offer is simply a "pass-through."That would be fine if it weren't that the generation of electricity in this part of the country is so closely linked to natural gas and oil. The cost of those two commodities is pushing generation expenses and, in this volatile market, there's no knowing where those costs will be in a year, much less a week or two.Nonetheless, National Grid must estimate future costs and that is what it is doing now. National Grid has estimated that without an increase from 8.2 to 10 cents in the per kilowatt hour charge, to buy power for its 465,000 customers it will have spent $138 million more than it will have been paid by September 2006.Since the company will be owed this amount, delaying a rate increase only means customers will be required to make up the difference later in what presumably will be an even bigger rate hike. It's a no-win situation in which the PUC really has no control over electric costs.Rather, it is the oil and the natural gas companies that are controlling the cost of electricity and, as has become evident from recent quarterly financial reports, there seems to be no controls over the profits they can make.Yet we don't believe it's hopeless.A breakdown of how our electricity is generated reveals that 60 percent comes from oil- and natural gas-fired plants, 28 percent from nuclear and 12 percent from other sources. Of these other sources, hydro generation is the largest with wind and solar producing tiny amounts.It's hard to imagine that natural gas and oil prices could come down dramatically, but given where they are, alternate sources of generation are becoming all the more attractive and viable. Unfortunately these alternatives take time to permit and build, but we believe they will come.The free marketplace is ultimately the best price regulator, although at this point there appears to be no option to the higher cost than to douse the Christmas lights and shut off the television.
Editorials Letters to the Editor NONE 12/13/2005 Letter to the Editor Letter to the Editor: Governor has forsaken segment of population To the Editor:The argument, in some quarters, has been that the governor deserves more power because, after all, he answers to the entire state, while legislators answer only to a much smaller constituency.I argue that the governor is turning his back on large numbers of our state's citizens, those who cannot afford to live in his community, those who make up a significant portion of my representative district and other largely urban portions of our state.At the urging of Gov. Donald Carcieri, the Rhode Island Heating Assistance Plan Affordable Heating Task Force was formed in November 2004, chaired by the Rev. John E. Holt of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches and composed of representatives from the utility industry, government, non-profit human service agencies, philanthropic organizations, faith communities and other interested parties. Two tasks were laid before the group: to ensure that heat was restored to those in need during the winter of 2004-2005 (which was accomplished, with the assistance of funds from philanthropic organizations) and to recommend a programmatic solution to the problems of energy shut-offs.Here is the most telling part of the work of the task force: it focused a great deal of attention on providing affordable heating assistance to very low-income households in Rhode Island, that wording appearing several times in a report issued by the task force and in a letter from the panel to legislative leaders.In October of this year, the governor, who allegedly answers to all the people in the state, inadvertently forgot about or actively snubbed the low-income residents when he proposed using $3.7 million in state revenue deriving from utility taxes to provide heating assistance to only two groups of people: low-income elderly and disabled.I agree those two groups need help, but I join with many of my legislative colleagues, including House Majority Leader Gordon Fox, in taking exception to the governor's attempt to narrow the pool of beneficiaries in the face of what will likely be a brutal winter for all poor and low-income people in our state, regardless of their age.Within the last few days, we have received news reports that utility shut-offs are at their highest level in Rhode Island since 1997. Those shut-offs include not just the low-income elderly and disabled, the limited focus of our governor's attention. Despite the recommendations of his own task force, the governor has forsaken a large segment of our population. He challenges the General Assembly to do something, and we will. We took a step last year to establish a better repayment plan to allow those whose utilities have been shut off to have their service restored. We will, as Leader Fox vowed, have a definitive plan on the table in the upcoming session. We will, as Senate President Montalbano vowed, make heating assistance a top priority in the next legislative year.But we still need to get through this winter. The governor's concern about home heating aid is incomplete. Taking care of some and letting others freeze is not a solution, it is not humane and it is certainly not the kind of action we expect from someone who is supposedly accountable to the entire state.Thomas C. SlaterRepresentativeDistrict 10Providence
Editorials Letters to the Editor NONE 12/13/2005 Letter to the Editor Letter to the Editor: Rev. Covell: A man with vision, compassion To the Editor:Cornerstone Adult Services joins the community in mourning the loss of our founder, the Reverend P. Bishop Covell. We extend our heart-felt condolences to his family.Over 32 years ago, Reverend Covell and the parishioners of Warwick Central Baptist Church in the Apponaug section of Warwick had the insight and compassion to recognize the growing needs of the frail elderly. It was at the time, a novel idea and Bishop successfully persuaded elected officials, the division on aging and local funders to support the concept of adult day care. In addition to caring for the frail elderly, his ministry included the caregivers whose need for respite and emotional support he so clearly recognized.His commitment and conviction to the cause is unquestionably the reason why we are here today. His passion and vision created not only Cornerstone, which was the first adult day center in Rhode Island, but it brought forth the concept of adult day care, which today is a vital component in the long-term continuum.Today, we honor his memory through our commitment to providing compassionate and loving support to our frail elderly and their caregivers.Roberta B. MerklePresidentCornerstone Adult Services, Inc.
Editorials Letters to the Editor NONE 12/13/2005 Letter to the Editor Letter to the Editor: We need Chafee To the Editor:U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee is the son of Rhode Island's late U.S. Senator John H. Chafee. And Sen. Chafee is not here anymore to ask his friends to remain loyal to the Chafee family.So, therefore, I appeal to all of those who admired and respected and supported John Chafee to please support his son's re-election efforts.Washington without a Chafee is like Washington without a Kennedy. Their influence as who they are cannot be replaced.David A. RourkeWarwick
News News COSTELLO, LAURA LEE 12/13/2005 Charity may begin at home, but it's being developed in school for students at Potowomut Elementary School this year. Charitable spirit thrives at Potowomut adoption of school hit by hurricane set By LAURA LEE COSTELLOCharity may begin at home, but it's being developed in school for students at Potowomut Elementary School this year. Since the beginning of the academic year, students there have participated in a variety of charitable works as part of the Feinstein Good Deeds Program instituted in all Rhode Island elementary schools.Potowomut is involved in the process of "adopting" a school in Louisiana ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. This month, students sold more than 200 "beanie babies," raising approximately $500, half of which will be donated to the adopted school which has yet to be chosen. School principal Ronald Areglado plans to donate the money "in one fell swoop, and we may raise more as the need arises." This donation will be augmented by $1,000 from teacher Noreen Bamford. Bamford received the money as a prize for being named the Rhode Island Wal-Mart teacher of the year and chose to donate it rather than keep it. The charitable spirit is not confined to the holiday season for these students. Beginning in September they raised $300 for the American Red Cross. In October and November they participated in a blanket drive for soldiers in Afghanistan. They are currently collecting toys for the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots. Throughout the year food drives have been held to assist families in need in the Warwick community. Alan Shawn Feinstein recognized the students' good works in a presentation held at Potowomut last Thursday. He was welcomed to a schoolwide assembly by sixth-grade Class President Sarah Staulo and class officers Aubrey Lusignan, Sara Schrier and Alexa Clark.Both Feinstein and Areglado expressed pride in the student body. Areglado believes the students exemplify "the spirit of giving and are developing a social conscience." Feinstein commended their efforts, calling the students wonderful and very responsive. "These students set an example for the entire country," he said.
News News COSTELLO, LAURA LEE 12/13/2005 Two native Mexican women working at the ReMax Five Star real estate agency in Warwick are realizing the American dream. Mexicans live American dream as Realtors, celebrate with 'fiesta' By LAURA LEE COSTELLOTwo native Mexican women working at the ReMax Five Star real estate agency in Warwick are realizing the American dream.Monday the office held a "fiesta" to celebrate the holidays and the birthdays of two of the agency's star employees, Alejandra "Alex" Guelce and Amalia "Amy" Quezada.The women's lives are examples of ambition, tenacity and hard work. Five Star's owner Tom Clarkin calls the pair, "very successful ReMax agents, top producers," although they have been employed there for just slightly more than a year. Amalia Quezada, 28, arrived in the U.S. from Mexico City, 14 years ago with only a sixth grade education. She began working in a factory in Providence, became pregnant, and was unable to continue her education. Two more children followed and the single mother was forced to keep working in an attempt to support them. Amy, as she Americanized her name, worked full-time in the factory and supplemented her income working as a secretary in Providence earning $190 each week. It was there where she began to learn the real estate business and set her sights on higher goals."I couldn't think of that time as a job," she reflects. "I just told myself I was going to school, that I was getting paid to get my education. It was so hard for me to work those two jobs. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to see my kids for the whole week. I lived in a two-bedroom apartment with my mother and the three kids, and my mother and brother had to keep encouraging me to keep going. I was getting welfare and working two jobs just to take care of my kids."Eventually Quezada earned her Realtor's license, and began working at an agency in Lincoln. "I didn't even have a car in the beginning. I would have to ask clients for a ride to showings. Finally my brother bought me a car for $100, but it would break down all the time."Fortunately, her business grew quickly. "My buyers became friends," she says. "I always try to keep good relationships, and have a good reputation. I get a lot of referrals. I haven't done any advertising, just word of mouth." Last year she joined the Five Star office and became "a real asset to our office," in the words of Tom Clarkin. "She is very hardworking, and a true professional."Quezada didn't join the office alone. She is in the process of creating a five-member team of Realtors, including people from the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.The first person to join Quezada was Alejandra Guelce, also of Mexico City. She came to the U.S. in 2000, speaking just rudimentary English. She began working in a mortgage company, where she met Quezada. "Amalia is so warm," said Guelce. "She was always trying to help me. She hired me as her assistant and pushed me get my license, even though I was pregnant. We worked so hard to be successful."Guelce attributes a portion of their success to cultural differences. "About 80 percent of our clients speak Spanish, and they appreciate having a bilingual Realtor. But there are differences in the way we do business too. Our culture values a personal touch. Here everything is a fax or an e-mail. Amy and I hand deliver a lot of things, stay in touch, and personalize everything."Incorporating Mexican and American values is benefiting the Realtors and the Latin American community. Currently Quezada and Guelce sell properties throughout the state, but most are in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls. Guelce hopes to see that change. "Many Spanish people come here and they want to stay in their own community," she said. "They live near one another, go to Spanish clubs, and know only other Spanish people. I want to push them a little outside of that.""I'm trying to sell more homes in Warwick to Spanish people. I live here and I think it's a great area. I'm trying to show that to be successful you have to adapt a bit, learn the language and know all kinds of people."The hard work has paid off for both women. Quezada no longer lives in a two-bedroom apartment. She has bought a car, a home, and invested in several pieces of property. She dreams of a college education for herself and her children. As she puts it, "I really appreciate how far I came when I think of how I started."Approximately 30 people attended the fiesta at ReMax Five Star. It included a buffet catered by Chilangos Mexican restaurant, and traditional Mexican music. In the words of Tom Clarkin, "We wanted to show some appreciation for these women who have brought so much life and energy to our office."